Putin to meet with Iranian President on 11th... "Discussion of situation in Middle East"

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with Iranian President Masud Pejeshikyan on the 11th, the Kremlin said.

Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said Putin will visit Turkmenistan on Wednesday to attend an international forum, where he will meet with Iranian President Pezeshikyan.

The two leaders will discuss the situation in the Middle East, which has deteriorated sharply recently, along with bilateral relations, Ushakov explained.

In addition, President Putin and President Pejeshikyan announced that they will hold separate bilateral talks during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on the 22nd and 24th.

Ushakov, however, says Putin does not yet plan to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or visit Qatar at this time.

Putin spoke to Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the phone on the 7th local time to discuss the situation in the Middle East.

The Kremlin said on Telegram that Putin had received a phone call wishing Erdogan a happy birthday.

This is Putin's 72nd birthday.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction with the constructive nature of international relations, including the situation in the Middle East, and the preparation for further cooperation, the Kremlin explained.

It added that it had agreed to hold separate talks during the BRICS summit.

Putin held informal talks with the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow on the same day and held a summit diplomatic schedule on his birthday.

On the 8th, a formal summit between President Putin and the leaders of the CIS countries will be held.

Ushakov said Putin will hold bilateral talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev before the CIS summit on the 8th to discuss ways to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

He also added that Putin plans to invite the leaders of CIS countries to the BRICS Outreach event, which also includes non-member states at the BRICS summit.

Putin will meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on the 9th.